Potted right angle terminal support adapted for use with printed circuit boards



Oct. 27, 1964 LE MAUVIEL 3,154,631

P. J. POTTED RIGHT ANGLE TERMINAL SUPPORT ADAPTED FOR USE WITH PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS Filed Sept. 1, 1961 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,154,631 POTTED RIGHT ANGLE TERMWAL SUPPURT ADAPTED FQR USE WITH PRW'IED CIRCUIT BOARD Paul J. Le Mauviel, .Ioliet, lllL, assignor to Phillips- Eckardt Electronic Corporation, .Ioiiet, Iil., a corporation of Illinois Filed Sept. 1, 1961, er. No. 135,575 1 Claim. (Cl. 1174-52) This invention relates to a right angle terminal support for electric or electronic components or the like, enabling a component of the type having terminal Wires normally extending from one end thereof to be mounted flatwise against a panel with the terminal wires extending through the panel.

One object of the invention is to provide a support of the character disclosed which is simple and relatively inexpensive to provide in association with a component.

Another object is to provide a separator block for terminal wires of a relay or the like which serves as a mold during the manufacture of the relay, being adaptable to receive plastic insulating material for the portions of the terminal wires within the separator block, after which such insulating material is allowed to cure for a time period and thereupon the relay is completed and ready for installation.

Still another object is to provide a separator block in the form of a four-walled unit having openings in one wall thereof for the right angle terminal wires of the relay to extend through to the exterior of the block, the space bounded by the four walls of the block and the adjacent end of the relay providing space which serves to receive the plastic insulating material.

A further object is to provide a method of supporting right angle terminal wires of a component comprising the steps of projecting the terminal wires through openings of a four-walled container that abuts the end of the component; filling the space between the walls and said end of the component with plastic insulating material; and allowing the material a time period to cure.

With these and other objects in view, my invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of my right angle terminal support; and in the method for producing the same whereby the objects above contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim and illustrated in detail on the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view, substantially full size, of an electric or electronic component such as a relay with my right angle terminal support in association therewith.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the separator block used in my right angle terminal support.

FIG. 3 is a similar perspective view from the opposite side.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a component (partially in section) and showing the right angle bends of terminal wires extending therefrom.

FIG. 5 is a similar View with the separator block of FIGS. 2 and 3 shown in section and associated therewith as a first step in my method.

FIG. 6 is a similar view showing a second step wherein molding material has been introduced into the space formed by the separator block and the end of the component; and

FIG. 7 is a similar view showing the extending terminal wires associated with a printed circuit on a panel, the component being supported by its terminal wires thereon.

On the accompanying drawing, I have used the reference character C to indicate an electric or electronic component such as a relay. Since the contents of the component C form no part of my present invention, I have not illustrated them in detail but have merely shown in FIG. 4 an end wall ill of sheet metal soldered in position and having openings 12 through which terminal wires 18 extend. Just inside the wall It) is an insulating and sealing material 14 whereby the relay or other instrument constituting the component C is hermetically sealed relative to its casing 19.

Heretofore the Wires 18 extended out of the end 10 of the component C so that they could be associated with the circuitry of a printed circuit when the component is mounted in end-on relative to a circuit panel such as shown at 16 in FIG. 7. When there is not room enough for mounting the component end-on, or when it is desirable for other reasons to support it flatwise against the panel 16 as in FIG. 7, it is desirable to have the wires 13 extend at right angles as indicated at 20. Since these wires are relatively small in diameter there is a problem of reinforcing them against bending and also insulating them so that they are not electrically exposed. Heretofore it has beeen customary to mold insulating material around them by placing the component C in a suitable mold and inserting the molding material such as beads of plastic or the like and then heating the mold to melt the material. The mold is thus out of service for two or three hours while the molding material cures, and even when molds at a time are used production is relatively slow.

In order to eliminate the use of molds altogether and the time they are out of service while curing, as well as to eliminate the removal of the finished product from the molds and to maintain more accurate dimensions as to the spacing of the terminals 20, my present invention contemplates the use of a separator block B having four walls identified as 22, 24, 26 and 28. The wall 22 has a series of perforations 3t) therein through which the wires Zil extend as in FIG. 5 and the dimensions are such that the open side of the separator block bounded by the terminal edges of the walls 22, 26 and 28 contact the adjacent end of the component C as illustrated in FIG. 5 when the separator block is mounted in position for a subsequent molding operation, thus providing an enclosure space.

The enclosure space between the walls 22, 24, 26 and 2% and the end wall 10 forms an enclosure which is then filled with insulating material 32 as in FIG. 6 of sufliciently low viscosity so that it will flow into intimate contact with the walls of the separator block and the end wall iii, and around the terminal wires 1840 within the enclosure space referred to. The material 32 is preferably one that will cure at room temperature, and heat may be applied before curing if found advantageous to deaerate the material. The finished components C may then be set aside for the curing period whereupon they are ready for installation, shipping or other usage.

Alternatively an insulating material such as plastic beads may be placed in the enclosure space of FIG. 5 to produce the completed component of FIG. 6, the resulting assembly heated to melt the material and the assembly then allowed to cure.

FIG. 7 illustrates a typical installation wherein the panel 16 has a printed circuit, two circuit elements of which are indicated at 34 and 36. These elements are perforated and so is the panel 16 to receive the terminal wires 20 whereupon the entire assembly may be dipped in solder for soldering the terminals to the circuit elements 34 and 36.

The casing 19 for the component C is usually made of sheet metal and accordingly sheet insulation 33 may be interposed between the component and the circuit elements 34 and 36 to avoid grounding any circuit elements relative to the casing.

From the foregoing specification it will be obvious that I have provided a relatively simple and inexpensive right angle terminal support and a method for applying the same to a component in such manner as to reinforce right angle terminal wires thereof and assure accuracy of their dimensions so that the terminals will interfit with circuit elements such as 34 and 36 illustrated in FIG. 7 with a minimum of time and effort spent in assembly of the components on the panel 16. Molded insulating material is used to embed the terminal wires but the use of molds therefor is entirely eliminated with my invention. Furthermore, the device may be reinforced compared to prior devices by using a separator block B of harder material than the material 32, and/or having higher impact strength. Also the material 32 may be softer than prior devices and less expensive as it is protectively encased in the block B which rigidly positions the extending wires 20 in relation to each other, thus maintaining exact spacing dimensions for ease of subsequent assembly with respect to printed circuits or the like. The sizes of the holes 39 may also be closely controlled with respect to the diameters of the wires 20 to avoid leakage of mold ing material around the wires.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts of my right angle terminal support without departing from the real spirit and purpose of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by 4% my claim any modified forms of structure of use of mechanical equivalents, which may reasonably be ir1- eluded within its scope.

I claim as my invention:

In a terminal support of the character disclosed the combination with a component having terminal wires extending from one end thereof and bent at right angles, of a hollow separator block of insulating material having four walls and two open sides, one of said open sides being against said component and the other forming a continuation of one surface thereof, perforations through that one of said walls which is opposite said other open side and through which said terminal Wires extend, and moldable insulating material filling the space within said block, the portions of said wires extending from said end of said component being imbedded below the surface of said insulating material at said other open side of said separator block.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,691,072 Jones Nov. 13, 1928 2,773,158 Myers Dec. 4, 1956 2,943,359 Sussman July 5, 1960 3,019,489 Burg Feb. 6, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 194,939 Germany Ian. 25, 1958, 

